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Robert Whittaker vs. Jared Cannonier Set For UFC 248 In March

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Robert Whittaker will make his first Octagon appearance since his loss to Israel Adesanya, at UFC 248 in March.

A high-stakes middleweight matchup between former division champion, Robert 'The Reaper' Whittaker and emerging contender, Jared 'The Killa Gorilla' Cannonier has been finalized for UFC 248 on March 7th. from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. News of the pairing was first reported by MMA Fighting writer, Damon Martin.

Whittaker will attempt to rebound from his first defeat at middleweight, after he dropped the 185-pound championship to Israel Adesanya in a unification clash at UFC 243 in a blockbuster event in Australia. Streaking challenger Cannonier has set the division alight ever since his move last November. Cannonier has shot to stardom with three consecutive knockout victories over David Branch, Anderson Silva, and most recently in the main event of UFC Fight Night Copenhagen, finished Jack Hermansson via a swift counter upper-cut in the early goings of the second round.

Whittaker holds a significantly stellar resume at middleweight since his move to the weight class back in 2014, scoring wins over Yoel Romero (x2), Jacare Souza, Uriah Hall, and Derek Brunson. The 29-year-old was briefly linked to a pairing with recent division mover, Darren Till, but the finalization of the bout with Cannonier, paves the way for a matchup between Till and the aforementioned Hermansson, widely expected to meet at UFC Fight Night London. A victory for Texan power-puncher Cannonier firmly slots him into title contention with Whittaker becoming the stand-out name on his professional record.

UFC 248 takes place on March 7th. from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A middleweight championship pairing between reigning king, Israel 'The Last Stylebender' Adesanya, and Yoel 'Solider Of God' Romero is expected to feature as the event's headliner, although not officially confirmed by the promotion as of yet. In the co-main event, strawweight champion Zhang Weili attempts to notch her first successful championship defense as she meets former division queen, Joanna Jędrzejczyk. In welterweight action, Neil Magny makes his return as he meets with Chinese finisher, Li Jingliang.

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